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Movie Review – Father Figures (2017)

Who’s your Daddy?

No, seriously, these guys want to know.

BQB here with a review of “Father Figures.”

Every holiday season, Hollywood puts out at least one vapid, forgettable comedy. The jokes are predictable, the plot is lame, and while it provides a little bit of entertainment during your Yuletide downtime, you won’t exactly be watching this film over and over again.

Going into it, “Father Figures” feels like that, and it is in many ways but I’ll give it credit. It is a tad better than the usual holiday comedy fare.

Ed Helms and Owen Wilson are twin brothers in their forties. Owen has coasted through life, always lucking his way into riches. Ed works hard, does everything right but can never get ahead.

When their mother (Glenn Close) gets married late in life, she confides a secret to the boys – the man who she had long said was their father never was. He’s still out there and due to her promiscuous 1970s disco lifestyle, there are a lot of potential paternal candidates.

From there, the film becomes a mad cap road trip romp as the dudes hunt down various men who may be their pappies.

Football legend Terry Bradshaw (as himself), JK Simmons, Christopher Walken and some other guy I’ve seen in a lot of films but I’m too lazy to look up his name all take turns as possible dads to these two dummies. Honestly, the “father search” more or less serves as a plot device that allows the duo to meet and go on adventures with a bunch of old men. The movie becomes a series of skits tied behind a flimsy premise.

Along the way, Ed and Owen pick up Katt Williams, who joins the quest and shows he has some range. At first, I was disappointed that Katt didn’t do his usual pimp character, but after awhile I realized this was Katt’s chance to prove he could do something other than that and honestly, he does shine. While I hope he doesn’t completely give up his pimp-ness, this may be the start of more in-depth roles for our favorite pimp comedian.

STATUS: It’s always good when you think a movie will suck only for it to not suck as much as you thought it would. Shelf-worthy.